Set hinge back
1/4 in. from
p. 107). If there’s a third hinge, it’s equidistant between the other two.
door face.
Doorstop
Pull the hinge pins so you can work with one hinge leaf at a time. Set the hinge leaf slightly
back from the edge of the door, as shown in “Hinge Setbacks” at left. the setback from the
1/16-in.
clearance
hinge to the doorstop should be slightly greater than that from the hinge to the edge of the
door, so there is room for several coats of paint. Use a combination square to mark setback
lines on doors and jambs. Finally, when mortising hinges, it’s best to set the router slightly
shallow and then use a chisel to pare away the last little bit of wood so the hinge leaf is just
flush. Setting hinges too deep can cause the door to bind.
Hanging the Door
Hinge screws can be diverted easily by wood grain, resulting in crooked screws and misaligned
Door
hinges. the pros avoid this problem by using a vix bit, a spring-loaded bit that centers
Set hinge back
5
pilot holes for hinge screws perfectly. With hinge leaves perfectly set on both the door edge and
/16 in. from stop.
hinge jamb, lift the door, align the leave pairs, and slide in hinge pins, starting with the top hinge.
After inserting the pins, eyeball the hinges as you open and shut the door. If the gap between the
Leave a slight gap between
the door and the doorstop,
door and the hinge jamb is excessive, remove the door and set hinges a little deeper.
so the door won’t bind.
128 Chapter 6
Quick Door Fixes*
sympTom
cAUse or signiFicAnce
WhAT To do
hinged doors, general
Door binds against top of
loose hinges allowing door to Rescrew hinge to jamb, replacing
latch jamb or scrapes floor
sag into opening
inner screws with ones long enough
to reach studs, if needed
Hinge-screw holes in jambs larger-diameter screws won’t Use longer screws or fill holes with
are stripped
fit holes in hinges
wood plug glued in, let dry, and
rescrew
Door binds along latch jamb Hinge may be bent
Use adjustable wrench to bend
but hinges are tight
hinge-leaf knuckles on door (p. 121)
Door binds on latch jamb but Hinges not mortised deep
Remove hinges, chisel hinge gains
hinges are tight; big gap seen
enough into door or frame
(recesses) deeper, and reattach
Pocket door detail #1: Top-mounted
along hinge jamb
hinges
mechanisms need oiling and
ingenuity to keep rolling. Someone
Door binds along hinge jamb Hinge leaves set too deep
Remove hinges, place cardboard
retrofitted a new machine bolt and
shims under hinges, and reattach
sawed a slot in its head so the bolt
could be easily turned to raise or
Door binds because door
Seasonal shifting or
Scribe and trim door to fit skewed
lower the door.
frame is racked (out of
foundation has settled
opening or replace old frame with
square)
squared, prehung door unit
Door shuts but won’t latch
Strike plate is misaligned
Raise or lower strike plate
pocket doors
Door slides roughly
Built-up dirt or floor wax
vacuum track thoroughly
on floor
Door slides roughly; floor
top track sagging or
Remove trim to expose top-hung
abraded under door
mechanism needs adjustment
mechanism; adjust to raise door
Door does not slide at all;
Door has fallen off track
If bottom track, lift door back onto it;
hard to operate
if top track, remove trim and set track-
ing wheels up onto overhead track
Door drags, balking at certain Wheels not turning freely or
Remove trim, swing door out, and
points; wheels squeal
are rusty; track bent or broken
oil or replace wheels; use flashlight
to examine track inside pocket
Door face abraded; door
Door off track or stud has
lift door onto track; if problem
difficult to operate
bowed into pocket
persists, remove finish wall on one
side—may need to plane down or
replace stud
Pocket door detail #2: The mortise in
this pocket door’s bottom rail will
exterior doors
house an adjustable wheel
mechanism. The hole bored in the
Drafts around door
Door not fitting tightly
Install weatherstripping or new
face allows access to a screw that
to frame
threshold
raises or lowers the wheels and thus
Water damage to wood
Water collecting around
Replace damaged materials; install
the door.
doorsill, finish floors, and
doorsill area, soaking wood
overhang outside and water-return
subfloor
threshold beneath door
Water stains on interior walls, Absent or poorly installed cap Remove siding above top of door
especially around top of door
flashing on exterior
frame and retrofit head flashing
Heavy condensation on metal Metal frames conduct cold;
Replace with clad door unit with
sliding door; floor is water
moisture condenses on them
better insulating properties
damaged
Door frame not square; casing Possible foundation settlement Have structural engineer check
tilts; large diagonal cracks at
(p. 236)
foundation
corners of doors or windows
* For additional quick-diagnostic charts such as this one, see House Check: Finding and Fixing Common House Problems by Michael Litchfield with Roger Robinson (The Taunton Press, 2003).
Doors, Windows, and Skylights
129
bling the tape’s back edge, and run the tape at
least 4 in. onto the sides of the RO. Apply extra
flashing tape as needed to make corners water-
zzzzzz When Hinges Fail
tight. If you use (nonadhesive) flashing strips
Jamb
instead, you can fold the strip into the bottom
of the RO as shown in the bottom right on the
Doorstop
facing page, caulk the edge, and set the window-
sill atop it. If there is a drip k
erf cut into the
underside of the windowsill, you can also caulk
3-in. replacement
screw grabs stud.
and tuck the top of the flashing strip into the
kerf. This provides an unbreachable seal, which
apron casing or siding will cover as well.
Now you’re ready to install a prehung window
unit into the rough opening. Succeeding pages
Door
describe installations in great detail, so let’s focus
here on flashing. You’ve shimmed and secured
the window. Now you need to start sealing the
gaps between the window frame and the framing.
To seal side jambs, you can use self-adhesive
Longer outer screws
flashing tape as shown in the sequence on
would miss studs.
pp. 142–143. Or you can use the strip-and-
Replacing a short hinge screw with one long enough to grab
caulking method shown in the photo sequence
the framing should be your first “cure” when hinge leaves
on pp. 131–132. Apply siliconized caulk to each
pull free from door jambs.
jamb edge, embed a flashing strip in the caulk,
and then run another bead of caulk atop the strip
before installing the casing. This caulk-and-spline
The order in which you install weatherproof-
sandwich stops infiltration effectively. Finally,
ing materials depends on several variables: Is
caulk the edge of the head jamb before installing
exterior sheathing exposed or covered by build-
the head casing, but do not insert a flashing strip
ing paper (or housewrap) and siding? Are win-
between the head jamb and the casing—that
dow units to be installed precased (with exterior
could direct water behind the head casing.
casing already attached) or uncased? I will get
Apply the exterior casing to the window
into particulars, but the overriding idea behind
frame, then install rigid cap flashing over the
P R O T I P
installing flashing correctly is above always over-
head casing. Careful builders will first caulk the
laps below. Falling water is always directed away
upper leg of the cap flashing to prevent water
from living spaces, away from framing and
from running behind it. (This caulk is especially
Windows are usually installed
sheathing and window frames. Remember that
important with stucco siding, which is water per-
by setting the bottom onto the
rule of thumb and you can’t go wrong.
meable and often collects water between the
sill of the opening and tipping
Imagine a rough opening awaiting a door or
stucco and the building paper.) Lastly, run build-
the unit up into place. But if
window. If the sheathing is exposed, apply house-
ing paper or housewrap over the top of the cap
you’re retrofitting a flanged unit,
wrap to the wall and run it into the opening, sta-
flashing before installing the siding.
which has integral cap flashing,
pling it to the sides of the studs, and top of the
Should side flashing go over or under the
slip the cap flange up under the
rough sill. However, leave the housewrap over the building paper covering the sheathing? It doesn’t
housewrap and siding first, then
top of the rough opening unstapled because it
really matter because the side flashing is extra
swing the bottom of the unit
will overlap the window’s cap (head) flashing
protection. But under the windowsill, leave the
onto the sill. Obviously, you’ll
need to slit the housewrap or pry
later. Alternatively, you can first flash the perime-
lower edge of the flashing strips unstapled (or
out the siding nails above the
ter of the RO with flashing strips or self-adhesive
self-adhesive flashing tape unattached) so it can
opening to insert the flange.
flashing tape (p. 157 explains the difference).
overlay the building paper or housewrap.
FlASHINg FOR A WINDOW
Choosing Windows
First, flash the sill of the rough opening. Windows Choosing the right windows can be daunting, so
generally have sloping sills to shed water, but
let’s break the decisions into several manageable
water still finds its way underneath. In rainy
categories: (1) window styles, (2) frame materials,
areas, builders often install rigid sill pans, but
(3) making sense of energy-efficiency labels, and
these days you can easily shape a watertight pan
(4) choosing the right replacement window. This
from flexible, self-adhesive flashing tape. Create
sequence leads us to installing three types of
a lip toward the back (inside) of the sill by dou-
130 Chapter 6
WOOD-CASED WINDOW
WINDOW WITH INTEGRAL NAILING FLANGE
zzzzzz Weatherproofing Windows
Building paper will
cover this top spline.
Nailing flange
Head casing
Building paper will cover
flexible flashing.
Metal cap flashing
Flexible flashing
sealing cap flange
Fiberglass-reinforced
flashing-paper splines
Jamb casing
Sill
Bottom spline
Sill flange
over building paper
over flashing paper
Before installing housewrap or building paper, weatherproof
the perimeters of windows and doors, using fiberglass-
reinforced flashing paper splines (strips). In addition, cap
wood-cased units with metal cap flashing; head casing on
units with nailing flanges should be overlapped with a flashing
paper spline or sealed with flexible flashing.
FlASHING AN UNCASeD WINDOW
1. Dry-fit the window first to make sure it fits in the RO and that there’s enough space to
2. Set the window aside, apply flashing to the sill of the
level and shim the unit. The temporary diagonal cleats at the upper corners keep the jambs
RO, and run a bead of siliconized acrylic latex caulk along
flush to the sheathing.
the sill edge. You’ll later caulk the underside of the
windowsill, too, to cut air infiltration.
Doors, Windows, and Skylights
131
3. Reinsert the window into the RO,
shim it to plumb and level, check to
be sure it operates freely, then screw
or nail the jambs to the framing. That 4. Next, carefully caulk jamb edges and overlap those
5. Before installing exterior casing, run another bead of
done, cut shims flush inside and out.
edges with flashing strips.
caulking atop the flashing strips.
6. Rigid cap (head) flashing diverts water that might otherwise dam up
7. Cover the top leg of the cap flashing with flexible, self-adhesive flashing
behind the head casing and allows it to drip free.
tape or, as shown, a fiber-reinforced flashing strip. The siding—in this case,
stucco—will overlay the fl
ashing strip.
replacement windows and then to a photo essay
Double-hung windows are the traditional
of refurbishing an old double-hung window.
choice, with two sashes that slide up and down; if
the top sash is fixed, it’s a single-hung window.
WINDOW StyleS
Pros: Double-hung windows offer the widest
choice of sash patterns, from single pane to tiny
In general, choose new or replacement windows
four-over-four arrays separated by delicate
that match the style already on the house, espe-
muntins. Snap-in muntins enable affordable
cially on the facade that faces the street.
double-glazing and easy cleaning, but they won’t
Likewise, choose frame and sash materials that
fool an experienced eye.
have the same approximate thickness. Keep in
Cons: Sliding sashes are tough to weather-
mind when you make your selection that not all
proof well, and old sashes rattle and leak air; if
frame materials can be painted.
sash ropes break, windows cease to function reli-
ably. Meeting rails between the sashes have two
132 Chapter 6
zzzzzz Window Styles
Double Hung
Casement
Tilt-and-Turn
Fixed
Horizontal Slider
Hopper
Awning
Doors, Windows, and Skylights
133
Aluminum
Wood
clad
Vinyl
Fiberglass
Window frame materials
faces exposed to outside air, which hastens heat
Pros: This type of window is easy to clean, is a
loss, convection, and condensation. And only half good choice for an egress, has a tight compres-
the window area offers ventilation.
sion seal, and has a good energy profile.
Casement windows are side hinged and swing
Cons: Two moving parts mean two things that
outward, usually operated by a crank.
can break or jam. Roller shades and curtains can
Pros: A single large pane of glass maximizes
interfere with the window’s operation.
solar gain, a tight compression seal minimizes air Horizontal slider windows are like miniature
leaks, and the whole area ventilates when open.
patio doors; sashes slide in tracks.
It’s an excellent choice for egress.
Pros: This is a great choice for egress, and
Cons: A casement opening onto a deck or
because there are no muntins, it has good
walkway is hazardous to those walking by.
solar gain.
awning windows are hinged at the top, and the
Cons: Sliding sashes are tough to weather-
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